A Teenager Met A Stranger By A Lake Who Gave Him So Much More Than A Fishing Pole — 'A Father Is Father To All Sons'
Simple acts of kindness can have a lasting impact on future generations.
EvgeniiAnd / Shutterstock When a mother took her son fishing, she never expected the day to become one of his life's most meaningful.
While at the lake, the young teen was approached by a man who was taking his own son fishing for his birthday and presented him with a gift that he would be able to carry with him for a lifetime.
The stranger gave the teenager a fishing pole that would spark an interest in fishing.
In a TikTok video that has been viewed over 2 million times, the teenage boy’s mother, Akeithea Bost, shared the heartwarming footage she captured of a stranger she met at the park teaching him how to fish.
The mother shared that the man was taking his own son fishing for his birthday, and allowed her son to join them.
As they stood side-by-side at the edge of a lake, the man offered the teenager fishing tips and tricks and taught him how to hold the pole and reel in catches.
Before leaving with his son, he gave Bost's son the fishing pole he allowed him to use. “I can take it home?” the teenager asked in disbelief, to which the man replied, “Every young man should have one.”
The teenager and the man shook hands as he thanked him for the new pole that also happened to be his two favorite colors.
Bost recorded her son trying out his pole, optimistic that he would soon catch his first fish.
When she pointed out that they didn't have a bucket to bring the fish home in, the teenager said that he would happily carry it himself.
“It will be my first fish, and I will keep it and eat it like the man I am!” he proudly declared.
Nubia Navarro (nubikini) / Canva Pro
Bost shared that it was a “full circle moment” for them since she taught him how to clean and cook Snapper fish.
“I always tell him my job is to teach him how to fish in life as I love and nurture him along the way,” she wrote in the text overlay of the video.
Others noted that the teenager received so much more than a fishing pole that day. He was also given a glimpse into the best parts of humanity and a core memory that would never be forgotten.
“That kid will remember this for the rest of his life,” one TikTok user commented.
“It takes a village regardless of color, genetics, or generation. This gives me hope for humanity,” another user wrote.
“A father is a father to all sons,” another user wrote.
Not only will the compassion the man demonstrated to the teenager stick with him for a lifetime, but it will also serve as an example to his own son on how to treat others.
Acts of kindness have a ripple effect, spreading positivity and inspiring others to pay it forward.
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock
We never know what other people are going through when we encounter them in public. It doesn’t cost us anything to offer them kindness and respect or even just a smile to lift their spirits and make them feel valued and appreciated.
On our worst days, we will always remember the people who treated us with empathy and compassion, influencing us to do the same for others.
Maybe one day, when the teenager grows up, he will teach his own children how to fish and pass on one of his fishing poles to another child in the park, sparking a lifelong interest in fishing and an important lesson on how to treat others.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.